Golem's Uprising
by punkish furball
Summary: CURRENTLY REVISING! WILL BE REPOSTED! Sesshomaru mated Kagome but it's not because of love. Kagome escapes to her era with the help of a secretive servant girl. Centuries pass, Sesshomaru finds her and has no intention of letting her go, but she'll no longer be his golem.
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer for this story: InuYasha is property of Rumiko Takahashi. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**_

**Words to Ponder:**

Summary: "Sesshomaru messed up big time," the neko hanyou said and began to smirk, "and he's going to pay big time."

Sesshomaru mated Kagome in the Feudal Era but only because she resembled his late mate. Kagome finds out and fakes her death and escaped to her era with the help of a servant in the House of the Moon. Centuries later, Sesshomaru finds her and has no intention of letting her go again after finding out some truths…that is if he get pass a certain fire cat half demon.

punkish furball—Hello! This is my first multi-chapter Kagome/Sesshomaru fiction.

I'm also gothic fuzzies on Mediaminer and gothic (insert underscore) fuzzies on A Single Spark, so I didn't plagiarize.

**Prologue**

Kagome sighed overlooking one of the vast gardens in the estate in of the western lands. When she first seen this elaborate fortress, she was amazed. She had no clue that Lord Sesshomaru had any place to call home; he always struck her as the wandering type. It was originally built for the former Inu no Taisho's, Lord Touga, first mate and himself; that is what Sesshomaru told her and he said no more on the subject. Ironically, it was near the time the Inu no Taisho had met his second mate and left the first.

Sesshomaru…he came to her one day out of the blue and asked to court her. Kagome had been unable to react at first, but he was so kind and so sincere that she couldn't help but fall for him. He said such sweet words to her and at night he would hold her close to him. They had mated weeks later; InuYasha was not happy but did not protest…_much_.

'But he changed,' Kagome thought. He did. He rarely saw her anymore and when he did, he never seemed to look her in her eye. They had only been intimate the night her marked her some months ago. Sesshomaru isolated her here; she couldn't go out on her own anymore. Kagome had no friends within the estate. Servants and maids were only civil with her because they were ordered to be, but sometimes when she passed them, they would whisper and point at her. And sweet little Rin, she was so innocent! She made for good company but did not understand her feelings.

However, there was one servant who was her solace. She did not give her a name; she said that it was taken with her along with her freedom a long time ago. She was a half demon, a fire cat like Kirara. She looked as young as Rin was—about seven or eight in human years. Her skin was tanned brown like copper and like all demons her fingers were slender and tipped with sharp claws. Her eyes were two different colors—the right was golden like Sesshomaru's only much warmer and the left was blood red. Her onyx colored hair fell passed her shoulders and her bangs were ivory. Two black ivory tipped ears that were cat like in nature were on her head and two black ivory tipped tails extended from her spine. She usually had a plain kimono that was solid green or sometimes blue.

When Kagome first met her; she noticed that she had been talking about Sesshomaru and Touga without calling them "Lord" like all the other servants. It caught Kagome's attention.

"Why don't you call the Inu no Taisho and Sesshomaru 'Lord'?" Kagome asked her.

"I have no loyalty towards these lands or those who rule them," she answered, "nor am I acknowledging anyone as my superior who is not."

"You shouldn't say that," Kagome said; it might have been true but Sesshomaru would punish her if he knew what she said.

"I speak only the truth," she said and looked at Kagome. A sad, almost sympathetic look was in her eyes. Kagome was confused; why did she look at her that way?

"Any loyalty I have to this patch of soil belongs solely to you, Mistress Kagome."

Kagome began to laugh nervously and scratched her neck in a sheepish manner, "You don't have to say that. I really don't do anything here at all. You don't even know me."

"I know that," she said, "trapped in here like a caged bird like myself."

Kagome gasped slightly realizing that she was right. Sesshomaru did trap her here…in some ways.

"You're wrong," Kagome said despite what she felt, "Sesshomaru loves me and I love him."

"That mark," she said and let her fingers reach up and graze the symbol of her and Sesshomaru's union. She could reach it seeing as Kagome bent down to her level, "It was on the same place on her too."

Before Kagome could ask what he servant girl meant, she turned around and left.

Kagome rubbed her temples to keep those thoughts away. She still didn't know what or who the servant girl was talking about. Kagome stood up and went back to the chambers she shared with Sesshomaru. Once there she would a small book on her bed. She took the book in her lap and sat down. She opened it; Sesshomaru's name was on the inside cover.

'How did this get in here?!' she thought. A slip of paper fell from the book; it was a note.

_I didn't intend to hurt you. I just wanted you to see._

There was no name on the note. Kagome was confused.

'I guess it wouldn't hurt to read a bit,' Kagome thought and opened the book. Looking at the first page, she could tell that this was some sort of journal. A page was folded down near the middle of the journal and Kagome flipped to it and began to read.

-O0o0O-

It was while I was patrolling the lands that I found her. A human injured and alone. My rage at humans began to rise and I felt the need to relieve this human of her head. But looking at her large doe brown eyes that shined with tears and utter terror at my presence; I spared her. I brought her to a healer I knew. She was healed and sent back to her village.

-O0o0O-

Kagome paused in her reading. She could tell be the script and the short concise paragraph that the writer had to be Sesshomaru.

'Sesshomaru met another human woman?' she thought, 'What does this mean?' Kagome noticed other pages folded down and skipped over to the next one. She knew that she shouldn't invade Sesshomaru's privacy, but someone left this here to show her something that she didn't find yet. Kagome let curiosity get the better of her and continued to read.

-O0o0O-

I cannot believe it. Only weeks after meeting this woman, Misumi is her name, I am deeply in love with her. I act so uncharacteristically and not my cold, indifferent self. It's as though I'm a pup again. I don't care if I follow the steps of my father; I love this woman. She will be mine.

-O0o0O-

Kagome felt a sob in her throat. This entry was short but it cut like a knife in through her heart. She turned the page again and began to read.

-O0o0O-

She died; my Misumi is gone. She died during childbirth along with my child. How fleeting the lives of humans are. I will never love again. It was my father's folly. It was taken from him the same way it was taken from me.

-O0o0O-

Kagome couldn't stop the tears from falling onto the page. She could not help but feel for beloved who was so emotionally wounded. The words were few, but she could tell. Sesshomaru's writing had gotten a tad sloppy and there were small ink blots littering the page.

"How sad," she said aloud. She turned the page and continued to read.

-O0o0O-

It has been a while since I wrote, but I found her once again. My Misumi or more accurately this Kagome girl. She looked almost identical except her eyes. Misumi's were a warm brown like warm, fertile soil and Kagome's were deep crystal blue. There manner is also very different. Misumi was quiet and respectful like a perfect hime or a gentle songbird in a golden cage. This girl was loud, obnoxious and very annoying. But with a little molding and bit of my influence, I can create a Misumi that would be even more perfect than my memories of her.

I know I said I would never love another, but I don't intend to. My love will forever be for my Misumi…this girl will only be her new vessel.

-O0o0O-

Kagome threw the book away as though it burned her. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed loudly. It was all true; she could see that now in the scant minutes that she sat there reading. She had changed. She would have never accepted being in here without going out on her own or staying here period. Sesshomaru changed her to suit his interests. She now understood what her only friend and companion in this place said and why the other servants all whispered and pointed. She wasn't Kagome; in Sesshomaru's eyes, she was Misumi.

"I'm such a fool," Kagome said. Her sobs carried into her corridors and throughout the whole fortress.

-O0o0O-

Sesshomaru lifted his head from his scrolls and paperwork on the desk in his study. He stood up abruptly.

"Lord Sesshomaru," a young servant girl about Rin's age said, "is there a problem?"

"My mate distresses," he said simply. Normally, he wouldn't answer to a servant especially a child but she was here when the fortress was completed before his mother left his father. She was one the best he had here.

"I will take care of her," she said and bowed in the demons direction, "She will no longer be distraught."

Sesshomaru nodded once and sat back down; he knew that the fire cat will take care of Kagome.

Once the half demon was in the hall, she smiled bitterly to herself.

'I have no loyalty towards that wretched dog,' she thought, 'All my loyalty belongs solely to Lady Kagome. She will no longer be a replacement for that wench, Misumi. I will free her from this place. And Sesshomaru will never harm her again.'

The servant girl walked through the hall into the chamber Kagome was in. As soon as she opened the door, Kagome threw herself at her and cried into her neck.

"Thank you," Kagome said through her tears, "Thank you for showing me the truth."

"I knew you had to know," the servant girl said, "You were never met to be in this place. I'll get you out."

"How?" Kagome asked desperately, "He will find me. There is no way he'll left me go."

"I have it all worked out," the girl said softly, "Don't worry. Give me a few days. Humor him until then."

Kagome looked at Mimirou with tear stained cheeks, "What about the journal?"

"I'll take care of everything," the girl said. She released Kagome and pulled out a blue jewel on a bracelet, "This will mask you sadness and other feelings from Sesshomaru. It won't last long, but it will do the job." The servant girl picked the book off of the floor and turned to leave.

"Wait," Kagome said and her cat like ears twitched at the sound, "Can you at least tell me your name."

"Later," she said and left. Kagome sighed and went back to the bed without even bothering to change. She slipped on the bracelet and felt energy seep into her veins. Apparently, the servant girl thought about this for a long time. She didn't know how long she laid there until Sesshomaru came into the room. She had to fight back tears when he lay beside her and hugged him from behind. Being held so tightly to his chest so close so that she could her the beat of his heart did not bring her comfort as it used to. He kissed her temple and ran his claws through her hair.

Kagome just thought while he held her. Did even Sesshomaru even care for her at all? Did all he think of was Misumi? Even as he touched and caressed her so tender and lovingly? Where all those words of love fore her?

"Good night, beloved," he whispered into her ear. Kagome just snuggled closer and fell asleep.

-O0o0O-

The servant girl placed the journal back on her private shelf in Sesshomaru's study. Being one of the most trusted individuals in the fortress despite her age was very beneficial. She finally managed to get the cresses out from the folded pages. She pulled out a few of the oldest looking books and scrolls. She placed them on the floor with some parchment and a brush and ink. Settling herself on the floor, she opened a book to a marked page.

"The removal of the mark," she read aloud, "an excruciating process that will remove the mark without death of the mate." She took notes on the parchment, mostly directions and ingredients. She worked into the night and until morning.

'You will be free of this dog,' the girl thought to herself, 'I will protect you from him at all costs.'

-O0o0O-

punkish furball—There you have it. I hope my plot is good. Feedback is most appreciated. Questions? Commits? Words of Wisdom? Contact me! L83R, DUDE!

(edited 9/23/07)


	2. Chapter 1

punkish furball—Hello again! I was so happy when I saw my reviews I just had to get started on a new chapter.

**Words to Ponder:**

The servant girl is very important in this chapter. You maybe know who she is already.

Thank you, oldestmaiden, Demoness-MalstonWells69ner, 4gVn sOuL, stephanie, sneakeries, Archangel Rhapsody, storywriter10791, iluvchocs, S.T. Nicklian, Mere Image, helikeitheymikey!, Silver Moon Vampire, Crimson Beast, blah., KuroxTenshi, lordsessylover, uniqu3s0u7, darklily6, Ru-Doragon, DeathNoteMaker, acehi-anghel, crystal lilith, and sasuke-luvs-naruto for reviewing.

**Chapter 1**

The servant girl felt weary as she put the scrolls back on the shelves exactly as she found them. She rolled up her own pieces of parchment and made sure the brush was cleaned and the ink well was securely bottled. She put the ink well and brush back on Sesshomaru's desk. Looking over everything, she saw that it would be very difficult for someone to tell if she was in her. She was also careful to cast a concealment spell, a very simple but useful incantation that erased her scent and finger pints.

As soon as her work was done, the servant girl went back to the servants' quarters. There were many others in there considering the servants were roomed according to age and gender and specific duty. Servants her age mostly cleaned or served their lord's mate and pups. She walked over to her futon and lifted a loose floor board. There were many items in there: parchment, old pages from books and scrolls, small vials, dried herbs, and a small dagger. She put the rolled pieces in there with everything else.

'I have enough information now,' she thought to her self as she put the board back into place, 'The ingredients should be easy to acquire. Most of them I can get from the private stores and many take a few from the fortress healers and maybe some in the military. Sesshomaru's blood…that'll will be difficult. Lady Kagome's should be easier.'

The servant girl yawn before collapsing on her futon.

'I think about it after a few hours,' she thought before succumbing to sweet slumber.

-O0o0O-

Kagome woke up in the bed alone. That had to be the most uncomfortable night of sleep she had in her life. Sesshomaru kept his hold on her throughout the night only releasing her when he woke up to go train with his military. She was sure she had gotten to sleep well pass midnight. The most uncomfortable part was that even though she knew what Sesshomaru thought about her, she still craved his touch.

Kagome wished she could go beyond the fortress more than anything right now. Sesshomaru never allowed her to.

"A lady's place in the household and see to its operations," he said to her. He didn't even allow her to do that!

'Misumi must have liked staying in here all the time and being waited on,' Kagome thought, 'I guess she would after having to grow up at in a village in this time period.'

Kagome couldn't help herself; thinking about all these things caused the tears to flow freely and sobs to feel the room.

-O0o0O-

The servant girl stopped her chores as the smell of salt drifted though the hallway and assaulted her nose.

'That's Lady Kagome's tears,' she thought, 'If the smell is that strong, Sesshomaru can smell it from the training grounds.' She ran towards the training grounds using as much of her demonic speed as possible to get there.

At the training grounds, she saw Sesshomaru standing over a soldier on his knees with his eyes red and a free flowing wound on his shoulder.

"What happened?" she asked one of the other soldiers on the sidelines after tugging on his hamakas to get his attention.

"We don't know," he answered, "Lord Sesshomaru was sparing and the suddenly stopped. The one he was sparing with attacked him and hit his shoulder."

"I thought you were going to take care of it," Sesshomaru said without looking at the servant girl but she knew he was talking to her.

"I did," she said, "Lady Kagome told you of her family; did she not?" Sesshomaru nodded, "Well, her father died at this time and she still mourns him. I gave her a charm so her emotions will not bother you but it does not hinder her tears. I will console her if you wish me too." The lies fell easily off her lips, but she schooled her body to relax.

Sesshomaru's eyes reverted back their normal gold and he gave an affirmative nod. The servant girl had to bit back her sigh of relief. Before she left, Sesshomaru handed a bloodied training haori.

'It's Sesshomaru's blood,' she thought.

"Dispose of it," he said. Servant girl took it and bowed and left. She immediately went back to the servant quarters and back to her loose floor board. She pulled it up and pulled out one of the small vials. Careful not to get much blood on the floor, she wrung the blood out sleeve of the haori into the vial. The vial was only filled less than halfway and her hands were dyed red, but it was more than what she needed.

'That was easier than I thought,' she thought and capped the vial and place it back in the floor and replaced the board after getting another vial and the small dagger. There were fingerprints on floor but she would clean that later. She throw the haori in a pile of soiled clothing; it wouldn't be there when she got back. She looked at her hands and sighed; she'll clean them later since the blood was beginning to dry. Standing up she walked out of the room and into the hallway onward to Kagome's chambers.

She threw open the door to see Kagome sobbing on her bed. The servant girl sighed; she had been prepared for this. Kagome had given Sesshomaru her heart…her soul…her entire being. And he took it for granted; he didn't even see it as her devotion but as another's.

'If he had changed his intentions with her,' she thought, 'and he knew the truth about his so called beloved, he would at least be closer to deserving her. But knowing him, it's gonna take a while and a lot of effort on my part.'

"Lady Kagome," she said, "do you wish to be free of Sesshomaru's bond?"

Kagome looked up and wiped her eyes.

"I don't know really," she said, "I mean, I do love him…and I want him to be happy…" Kagome began to trail off. She felt so much pain and betrayal and hatred not because she hated Sesshomaru for not loving her, but herself. She couldn't bring herself to hate him for what he is doing and she hated herself for it. Who was she to punish him for her own doing? For falling for him?

"But at your own expense?" the servant asked steadily growing angry, "I am not nor will I ever be concern with his happiness. You are my sole mistress. I live to serve you. I will begin by freeing you from this place." Kagome was silent and began to bit her lip. The servant girl mentally sighed, 'I didn't want to resort to this, but she left me no choice.'

"What of the happiness of your family and those you told me of your land beyond the well?" she asked, "Is they combined happiness worth sacrificing for Sesshomaru's?"

Kagome thought a minute before sighing, "I will accept your help, but you must tell me your true reasons for wanting to do this."

The servant girl sucked in a breath, but was inwardly pleased. This was a step forward to her old self.

"I admit," she started, "I do have my own reasons and was going to use you for own benefit. I may look like a child, but I am much older than I appear. I have a lot of time to think about this and, honestly, if you hadn't caused me to care about you and if you haven't first cared for me, I would have simply killed you. That is why you are the only one I will call master. I will do anything to see to your happiness and, though you may love Sesshomaru, he is only able to give you false happiness. I know you think Sesshomaru could change but he won't. Even now as he slowly begins to withdraw and spending only nights with, it is the same way he treated his previous mate. Misumi was a meek woman with Sesshomaru who did everything he asked of her which was nothing at all. She was an object, a painted china doll that he treasured when he pleased. That's not what you want, isn't it? You're not the type to stand off on the sidelines. Even if you do need to be rescued sometimes, you're right out there with everyone else. You don't belong alone and isolated in this place and I won't let you stay any longer."

Kagome was stunned to silence; the ever indifferent, quiet, nameless servant girl cared for her? She smiled and pulled her into a hug.

"Just promise me one more thing," Kagome said, "I know that you will probably live long enough to see me again. Will you look for me five hundred years from now?"

"I will," the servant girl answered.

'I will have to,' she thought, 'Sesshomaru will no doubt survive that long also and I will continue to protect you.'

"Can you tell me your name?" Kagome asked looking at her hopefully.

"Not yet," the servant said. There is much to do and although I did come to comfort you there is something I must ask of you. For my plan to work, I do need some of your blood."

"I take it that is what's on your hands," Kagome said pointing to the girl's red fingers.

"Well…" the girl said showing an unusually sheepish side of her self and her cheeks tinted a soft shade of pink, "Your tears distracted Sesshomaru in his training and he was injured and his blood stained his haori. I wrung out as much blood as I could. I was going to clean my hands later."

Kagome smiled; she liked this side of the small girl better. Even if she did say she was much older she was still a child.

'Maybe…when I met her again…I can save her to,' Kagome thought. It was a distraction from Sesshomaru.

The servant girl held out a dagger and a small vial.

"Prick yourself with the blade and let one or two drops fall into the vial," she said, "That will be more than enough."

"Okay," Kagome said and took the dagger and the servant girl opened the vial. Kagome winced slightly as the dagger pierced the skin of her finger. Two drops fell into the vial before it was topped. The servant girl brought the small wound on Kagome's finger to her lips. She let her saliva heal the small cut.

"I'll be back once everything has been set and I'll tell you what has to be done," she said.

"How long will it take?" Kagome asked.

The servant girl was pleased; Kagome seemed willing, but could be using the whole plan as a distraction from Sesshomaru. Either way, it was much easier.

"Most of the ingredients I could get tonight. The rest I can get in one or two more days and began to prepare the potion. It will take a fortnight for the potion to be ready," the girl answered.

"I know it would be dangerous if you were found out, but could you do that as soon as possible," Kagome said, "In about three week's time, Sesshomaru will leave on his patrol. It would be a good time for me to go missing."

The servant girl nodded.

"It would be a wise choice," she said, "I will have to steal some and make some alliances I would regret, but it will be done." Kagome nodded.

"Just please be careful," Kagome said.

"I will," the servant girl said and turned to leave the room.

"And besides, I would rather like to see what you once where," she said over her shoulder and walked out of the room. Kagome smiled slightly once she walked out of the door. What she once was? She couldn't even remember.

'One thing for sure,' Kagome thought, 'I'm sure the old me would never settle for this. She's right; Sesshomaru is turning me into Misumi.'

-O0o0O-

The servant girl mentally congratulated herself as she washed the blood of her hands in a small bowl of water in her quarters after placing back the vial of Kagome's blood and the dagger. It will be taken away just like the bloodied haori before it. Kagome was cooperating which was a good thing. It made it much easier to help her.

'To think I could come to care for someone that was originally a pawn in my revenge,' she thought. This servant girl was by no means a genius of any sort, but growing up here, revenge was something she knew much about. There is no telling how many battle plans, attack strategies, sparring sessions, and council meetings she eavesdropped on. Being a child and a hanyou, they let her in thinking she couldn't begin to comprehend what was going on. She didn't at first but slowly learned and understood.

'That is the only thing I give Touga and Sesshomaru credit for,' she thought as she dried her hands, 'Giving me the knowledge I need to execute the proper plan and more importantly save the one I care most about, since I was not able to before.'

Taking in her surroundings, the servant girl noticed there was no one in her immediate area. She went to her loose floor board and opened it. She took out a list and a small satchel. She put the bag on her bag and put the list in a pocket of her kimono.

'I should get the soldiers' stores first, then the castle healers', and I could go outside without being noticed and get to the nearest demon village,' the servant thought, 'I could be back by early morning.' She took a deep breath and went out of the room and traveled in the shadows were no one would see her and those who did wouldn't care.

-O0o0O-

punkish furball—That's a wrap. I really like were this is going and it's a lot of fun writing. I will update as soon as I can. L83R, DUDES!

(edited 9/29/07)


	3. Chapter 2

punkish furball—Yay! I found up the title name! 'Golem's Uprising', it just seemed to fit.

**Words to Ponder:**

Thanks to DeathNoteMaker, crystal lilith, Silver Moon Vampire, Anime Punk Kitty, sun101, Ru-Doragon, RougeRaven, S.T. Nickolian, Inuyashafan101, helikesitheymikey!, uniqu3s0u7, Tori, iluvchocs, KuroxTenshi, Better Than U, MysticWolf71891, lildevil0644, and Fallen Tenshi860 for reviewing.

Ru-Doragon--Hmm...not sure. Maybe. Maybe not. (insert smiley face here.)

**Chapter 2**

The servant girl slung a sack of spoils over her shoulder as she rode on the back of a cart of hay with the seal of the west on it going down a dirt road. There will be many more coming this way; it was time to restock the fortress stores food and other such items. Her trip was successful; the castle healers and the soldiers' stores had most of what she required and she managed to tie herself into some alliances.

"But this special herb…" she said to herself. It was the key ingredient to the potion.

'Luckily this demon apothecary lives within the boundaries of the west near the castle,' she thought. She jumped off her hitched ride and into a field of green herbs. There was a small hut near the middle of the field.

'None of these are it,' she thought to herself, 'It must be kept in a private storage. Should I steal it?' In the middle her musing, the small half demon felt she was being lifted in the air by her tails. She kicked and struggled as her captor held her upside down and carried her into the hut. She let out an "oof" as she was dropped on the ground. She immediately sat up and dusted off her kimono and made sure everything in her satchel was intact.

"Rather late of a small child to be out," someone said. The servant girl looked up and saw an old haggard woman sitting ahead of her. A large demon was in the hut also.

'He must have been the one who carried me,' she thought.

"And," the old woman continued, "you're a servant of Lord Sesshomaru."

The servant girl fought the urge to kick herself.

'The seal on my kimono,' she thought, 'How could I have forgotten?'

"I am in search of an herb," the small half demon said, "It is important that I retrieve it tonight." She held out a paper from a fold in her kimono and held it out to the larger demon. He took it and opened it. The servant girl noticed him stiffen.

"Mother," the demon said, "you sleep."

"Alright," the old woman said and laid down on futon, "Don't you stay up too late."

The large demon took the servant outside. Once he was there, he turned to the small demon.

"Do you know what this herb is for?" he asked in a grave, serious tone.

"It has many uses," she said, "Alone it can be in a potion that will separate deadly toxins from the blood. A very dangerous and painful procedure."

"But," the demon began, "in a certain mixture…"

"When the potion is prepared properly," the small demon said, "It can break the bond of mates by filtering out the mixed blood."

"Why do you need it?" the demon asked.

"None of your concern," the servant said. Her eyes flared with irritation from his stalling.

'I have no time for this. Kagome needs this herb,' she thought, 'I may need to steal the herb from him after all.'

"Child," the demon said, "I shall not relinquish an ancient and rare plant for no reason."

"I may be small," the servant said, "but do not underestimate me. You will give me the herb."

The demon sighed, "I have but one question."

The servant girl raised her eyebrow.

"Does it have to do with Lady Kagome?" the demon asked. The girl said nothing.

"A long time ago," the demon began, "she and her companion came to me. That meeting is very special to me. If it is for her, then I will gladly give you the herb."

'I cannot tell him,' the girl thought, 'The less who know of my intentions the better. And besides, if he truly met Lady Kagome…'

"I refuse to answer," the small demon said and turned to walk away hoping that her hunch was right. When she reached the boundary of the herb garden, a folded bundle was held in front of her. She turned to face the large demon.

"What is your name?" she asked; she didn't need to ask why he had given her the herb. She had already known.

"Jinenji," the demon said. The servant girl nodded and dashed forward with the bundle in her hands and her sack over her shoulder.

'Not even our lord can enlist such loyalty,' Jinenji thought. When he saw the fire in the young half demon's eyes; he knew.

'She would gladly give up her life to see Kagome happy,' Jinenji thought, 'My lord, whatever you have done, you truly are a fool.'

The servant girl managed to get on the back of another driven cart. It would be at the castle by dawn. She managed to hide herself in the goods on the cart. All of what she acquired this night was hidden and secure. Possession of any of them would constitute immediate execution.

'But who would suspect a small half demon?' she thought, but still she had to be careful.

-O0o0O-

Kagome paced around her room. It was already past dawn and she couldn't sleep. All she could think about was the little half demon servant girl.

'Oh, where is she?' she thought, 'What if she got caught? Or if she decided that she didn't need to help me?' Kagome was about ready to pull her hair out.

"My lady, what troubles you?"

Kagome turned to see the servant girl standing in front of her door. Kagome was so relieved she brought the small girl into her arms.

"I thought you got caught," Kagome said.

"Everything is fine," the girl said reassuringly, "I retrieved all that I need and the potion is being brewed in an abandon dungeon as we speak. No one goes in there."

"Why is that?" Kagome asked as she let the girl go.

"There is a dark aura around the place," the girl said, "It's almost suffocating especially on demons. Being a half demon, it won't affect me as much."

"I'm sorry you have to go through this," Kagome said.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," the girl said, "You do not know how to make such a mixture and so I give you my services. Do you wish to accompany me to see to the potion?" The servant was against the idea, but she wanted Kagome to feel better about what was going on.

"I would like to," Kagome said. The servant took Kagome's hand and led her out of the room.

-O0o0O-

"Here it is," the servant girl said and opened the chained door at the end of a corridor that Kagome has never seen before. Kagome had to step back as the full power of the dark aura hit her.

'There must have been a lot of torturing going on in this room,' she thought.

"Are you all right?" the servant girl asked.

"I'm fine," Kagome said and stood up of the floor.

"Okay," the servant said and led Kagome deeper into the dungeon. The stench of blood was thick in the stagnant air. The lightening was dim; only a single torch was lit. There were still forgotten bonds and carcasses littering the floors.

"The potion is brewing over here," the servant said and lead Kagome to a line of small cells. A small pewter cauldron was in one on top of a low flame. The servant noticed Kagome was beginning to sway.

"I think that your holy powers have to do with the aura's affect on you," the servant said, "Do you need to leave?"

"No," Kagome said, "I'm fine."

"At any rate," the servant said, "We need to leave anyway."

Kagome and the servant girl walked out of the dungeon and far from the corridor towards the castle gardens. Walking down the hall, they were confronted with Sesshomaru.

"Kagome," he said, "What are you doing out of our room?"

"She was going to walk in the gardens with me," the servant answered for her; Kagome still seemed to be uncomfortable around Sesshomaru.

"Kagome, come," Sesshomaru said. Kagome was almost tempted to refused, but she did not want to hinder what progress the servant girl made. They both followed behind him silently. Sesshomaru led them to his study. When he opened the door, Kagome saw his advisors seated inside. The servant girl managed to blend into the shadows as must servants were known to do. Sesshomaru seated himself and Kagome sat in front of him.

"Kagome," Sesshomaru began, "After I return from my patrol, we will sire a child."

Kagome's breath caught in her throat.

"My advisors say that it is the opportune time for me to produce an heir," Sesshomaru said.

"But…but what if I'm not ready?" Kagome asked in a small voice. Sesshomaru's demonic advisors all gasped.

"What?" Sesshomaru said.

"I just…don't think I can—" Kagome said but Sesshomaru cut her off angrily.

"You are my mate," he said with his voice full of authority, "You will bare my son and heir as is your duty." Sesshomaru's tone held no room for argument. Kagome just bowed her head.

"As you wish," Kagome said and stood to leave.

'How could he say that to me?' Kagome thought, 'I still love him, but it's too late now. I have to leave.'

The servant girl was waiting outside.

"Three weeks," the servant said looking at the small stream of tears on her face. Kagome nodded.

-O0o0O-

"Kagome," Sesshomaru said as he approached Kagome in his battle armor and kimono. It was three weeks after he declared they were going to sire a child upon his return, "I will be leaving."

"I see," Kagome said, "Be careful." Sesshomaru placed and gentle kiss on Kagome's temple.

"I will be back soon," Sesshomaru said and turned to leave.

Once Sesshomaru was out of the way, Kagome walked down to the servants' quarters. She opened the door and saw the servant girl standing at the window holding something in her hands; a small vial. Kagome saw her ears twitch and she began to speak, but she did not turn her head.

"Lady Kagome," she said, "Sesshomaru has left boundary of the fortress in his youkai form."

"Right," Kagome said, "Let's do this then." The servant nodded and held out the vial to Kagome.

"Remember," the servant girl said, "once you are taken to the dry well, drink the potion and dive into the well. Sesshomaru will immediately go into rage when he senses the bond being shattered so it would be best if you are long gone by then."

Kagome bent down and gave the girl a hug from behind. She did not move but leaned back in the embrace slightly.

"And you remember," Kagome said, "Look for me 500 years from now. Don't forget me, ne?"

The servant girl had a small smile on her face, "I don't think that such a deed is possible." She pulled out of Kagome's embrace and turned to give her the vial. Kagome took the vial in her hands. Then she shrugged of the charm that the servant girl gave her to shield her emotions and handed it to her.

"See you on the other side then," Kagome said and walked out towards the gardens. Once she was gone, the servant girl opened the window and jumped out of it. The servant girl ran and managed to get into the forest surrounding the fortress.

"Come out, forest spirit," she said with her small voice full of authority. A large creature emerged from the trees with three beady black eyes and covered in fur as brown as the bark of the trees surrounding them.

"You called half demon," he said opening his mouth with his large teeth dripping with salvia. The servant looked at the massive beast without flinching.

"It is time," the servant simply said and the demon responded with a nod.

"I will do this deed," the apparition said, "and in return…"

"I will see that Lord Sesshomaru expands the territory of your kind," the half demon said.

The beast nodded its massive head.

"The Lady Kagome," the beast said, "Where is she?"

"In the eastern gardens of the fortress," the servant said, "See to it that she is not harmed."

The apparition nodded once again, "No harm will come to the Lady of these lands by my claws."

"Good," the servant said, "Now go." The large forest spirit bonded off in the direction of the gardens.

'And now,' the servant thought, 'phase two.' The servant girl ran back to the western castle.

-O0o0O-

"Lady Kagome," Rin said as she held up the flowers she had picked. Kagome sat next to her in the grass watching her pick flowers, relishing the last time she would be able to see her do so, "Aren't they pretty?"

"Yes," Kagome said while trying not to cry in front of the younger girl.

'This is the last time I will ever see Rin,' she thought.

"Lady Kagome," Rin said lowering her flowers, "Are you hurting somewhere?"

"No," Kagome said looking shocked at the young girl's accusation. Rin opened her mouth to speak again, but a loud roar cut through the air and a large demon speeding towards them.

'It's time then,' Kagome thought and stood up from her spot.

"Rin," Kagome ordered, "go back into castle."

Rin hesitated but nodded and ran into the castle with the flowers still clutched in her hands. Kagome was immediately swept onto the back of a large demon. She yelped as his speed increased.

"Sorry for your discomfort my lady," the apparition said, but kept his pace.

"Don't worry about it," Kagome said fighting to stay on his back, "How long until we reach the well?"

"Not much longer by human standards. My kind is very swift when traveling long distances," the beast answered, "We will have gone a great distance, but once Lord Sesshomaru finds out about your departure, he will no doubt go much faster than I."

"Don't worry about that," Kagome said, "Oh, before we go, make a pit stop at the village by the forest the well is in."

"You think it wise, my lady?!" the beast shouted, "It will be best if we do not take any detours."

"Don't worry," Kagome said, feeling and bit of her old self seep in, "Just a little pick up job and then we head out."

-O0o0O-

The servant walked slowly as everyone else in the castle ran about frantically past her. The scent of the invading demon and Rin running into the castle had caused a great panic throughout the fortress. Sesshomaru was probably being informed about it now.

"You half demon!" a soldier shouted. The servant girl turned and nodded at the soldier. He seemed angered by the lack of respect.

"Do you know anything about this?" he asked eyeing the servant suspiciously.

"All I know is what's going around the castle," she answered in an even tone, "Lady Kagome was attack and taken by a strange demon." The servant made sure that the forest spirits were not suspected and free from all blame.

The soldier stared at her for a moment before leaving the servant alone. She sighed once he was gone. He was a shrewd one, an army general of Sesshomaru's; one of the best.

'If memory serves me correctly, he is called Aoishi,' the servant thought, 'I'll have to watch out for him. He'll survive along throughout the centuries along with Sesshomaru and most likely follow in his command.' The servant shook her head of these thoughts and went back to the servants' quarters.

'I have more important things to think about in the present than worrying about the future,' she thought, 'I have to get rid of all the evidence. Luckily more forest beasts will help me with that part.' They were a primitive race of demons but loyal to those who they served.

'Phase two will be completed soon,' she thought, 'Lady Kagome, I hope you are safe.'

-O0o0O-

Sesshomaru inwardly groaned as one of his soldiers that had been at the fortress approached him at a fast pace. He felt that Kagome had been upset or under some condition of distress but dismissed it. This soldier obviously had something to say about it. He shifted into his humanoid demon form and acknowledged the lower demon with a nod of his head.

"My lord," he said while trying to catch his breath, "Lady Kagome has been taken."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened but so slightly that it went unnoticed, "Taken?"

The soldier nodded.

'Her distress,' Sesshomaru thought, 'I assumed it was because she had to bare my son when I returned.' Sesshomaru growled and took to his demon form again. His nose filtered out her scent and raced towards her.

'I will not lose her,' he thought, 'Not again.'

-O0o0O-

"Lady Kagome," the forest beast said, "The village is near. Shall I leave you?"

Kagome considered what he said for a moment, "Yes, but stay close. I won't be long." Kagome slipped off the beast's back and walked towards the village.

-O0o0O-

punkish furball—Things escalate. I can't wait to get chapter 3 out. L83R, DUDE!

(edited 9/29/07)


	4. Chapter 3

punkish furball—Wow! Has it been a long time?! Made sure this was a lengthy as possible to make up for my absence.

**Words to Ponder:**

Thank you lain01 (2x), DeathNoteMaker, Devil-Speaker, 4gVn sOuL, Sanquinary Tears, S.T. Nickolian, uniqu3s0u7, GtSoccerChick15, .-Chaline-., ll, storywriter107991, Anime Punk Kitty, Fallen Dragon, lildevil0644, KuroxTenshi, Ru-Doragon, crystal lilith, Shiori The Lady Kazekage (3x), Epitafio, Kerri, Shin Wal-New Moon-, smile for me, Bloodmoon Goddess, whiteinu1, Anonymous Obession, bluemiko, babygotback, and xXKillorbeKilledXx for reviewing.

Epitafio--Gracias por tu commentario. No hablo espanol muy bueno pero yo estoy aprendandolo. Tu commentario era practica buena.

**Chapter 3**

'It's been so long,' Kagome thought as she walked through the dirt roads of the village close to InuYasha's forest. The villagers didn't stop to greet her like they once did. Part of that made her sad but she still continued her trek towards her destination.

"Oof!" came from a small body that collided with Kagome. Kagome looked down and saw a small boy with short black hair and cinnamon brown eyes on the ground wincing at the pain in his bottom.

"Are you alright?" Kagome asked the child while kneeling down to help him out.

"I'm alright," the boy said and sniffled as if fighting the urge to cry.

"That's good," Kagome said. Before she could get up, the little boy grabbed Kagome's hands. Kagome looked up at him at the sudden gesture.

"Fair lady, will you bare my children?" the boy asked puffing out his chest with authority. Kagome almost fell out laughing out the question; it was obvious whose child this is.

"Wait a few years, kid," Kagome said and gently pulled her hands away, "but do you think you can help me?"

The boy hesitated but nodded.

"I'm looking for a pink jewel, like a round marble," Kagome said, "Any idea where it's kept?"

"I know what you're talking about!" the boy said excitedly, "It's in the shrine up there. My mama told me it was put up there when the lady in red and white who doesn't smile left it with my mama, papa, and Uncle Yasha. They told me that the lady who used to take care of it went away after she killed a bad guy and she probably won't come to see us anymore. Uncle Yasha was very sad when mama told that story, but he said that the lady is happy, so he's happy."

"Oh," Kagome said and had to fight off tears. Her friends…her family…she forgot about all of them by being drawn into Sesshomaru's lies.

"Ya know," the boy continued proudly, "my papa said that the lady was very pretty and nice and I decided that I'm going to marry her one day."

Kagome had to giggle softly at that statement, "Then why did you ask me to bare your children?"

"I ask that to every pretty lady, just in case that it's her. I don't know what it means, but it's what papa did to find mama," the boy said, "By the way, my name's Shin."

"Shin," Kagome asked, she couldn't keep the question off her mind, "Do remember there being a fox demon living with you? A little orange haired one."

Shin looked thoughtful before he shook his head, "Nope, there was a fox who lived here before but he left a long time ago. Did you know him?"

Kagome just shook her head trying to hold back tears.

'It's okay,' she thought, 'Alright, it's not okay. Just focus on the jewel and getting back for now.' Kagome drew in a deep breath and composed herself.

"Well, later, Shin," Kagome said, "I hope you find the beautiful lady you're looking for."

Kagome got up and walked towards the stone steps that lead to the shrine by Kikyo's grave.

'That has to be where the jewel is,' Kagome thought, 'It shouldn't be too hard to get it. I am Kikyo's reincarnation after all. The kinda sorta guardian should be able to get the jewel.' Kagome sighed once she reached the steps and began to go up them quickly skipping a few steps at a time.

'There's no telling when Sesshomaru will find me,' Kagome thought, 'or if the others will see me too. I have to hurry.'

-O0o0O-

Shin hummed random notes as he walked off again after leaving the pretty lady.

'I wonder who that lady is,' Shin thought, 'she was very pretty.'

Shin's thoughts ceased when he collided with yet another figure. He felt himself begin held by his collar.

"You should really watch where you're going, kid," the one who picked him up said and set him on his feet.

"Sorry, Uncle Yasha," Shin said.

"Just be careful," InuYasha said, "You'll never know who you'll run into these days." InuYasha took a few sniffs with his sensitive nose.

'Could it be?' he thought and bent down to Shin's level.

"Hey, you run into anyone else, kid?" InuYasha asked.

"Today, there was the old lady with the missing tooth, one of the farmers, some other boys," Shin said naming them off while counting on his fingers, "Oh, and one very pretty lady."

"Pretty lady?" InuYasha asked with his breath catching in his throat.

Shin nodded vigorously, "She was very pretty. She had blue eyes and she was wearing a very pretty kimono. Do you think she was a lord's wife?"

"Yeah," InuYasha said, "I got a good idea which lord it is too. Do ya know which way she went?"

"She asked where the pink rock is," Shin said, "I think she's going there."

"Thanks, kid," InuYasha said and bounded off in the direction of the shrine.

-O0o0O-

'I was right,' Kagome thought triumphantly, 'It did let me in.' Kagome stood in the middle of the shrine with the Shikon jewel shimmering on a small altar.

'The Shikon jewel,' Kagome thought and reached for it, 'I'll just take it and go to the well. I probably over stayed my welcome anyway.' Quickly, Kagome grabbed the jewel from its place and gripped it tightly in her hands and tucked it securely in a fold in her kimono.

'I think that I'll sneak out the back,' Kagome thought, 'I've already taken too much time.'

Before Kagome could make her way out of the shrine, she heard loud shouting in a voice she would have been happy to hear if the circumstances were different.

"Kagome!" InuYasha bellowed at the top of his lungs, "I know you're in there! Kagome, come out here!"

Kagome crouched down in an attempt to hide herself.

'How am I kidding? InuYasha will barge in here any second!' Kagome thought. Just as Kagome predicted something did barge into the room. However, it was not who she thought it was. The large forest demon shattered through the wall and the barrier on the small shrine. It kneeled in front of her and Kagome quickly jumped onto the beast and fisted her hands into its fur.

"Thanks so much!" Kagome said as the rush of air caused her hair to whip around her wildly as the demon surged forward with burst of speed.

"I sensed your distress!" the demon bellowed, "The young hanyou told me to pay close attention to your scent. It is very distinctive and fluctuates when your emotions change. I came as soon as I could and subdued to half demon, but it won't last long."

"Really?" Kagome said and pouted. The large demon laughed.

'Great, my emotions might as well be scratch-n-sniff stickers for demons,' Kagome thought.

The beast halted suddenly in front of the dry well.

"This is where I leave you," he said, "The half demon and Sesshomaru-sama will be closing in on our position."

"Very well," Kagome said and slid off the beast's massive shoulders. Before it could escape to the forest, Kagome linked—or rather tried—her arms around his great neck.

"Thank you," she said.

The demon shook its head, "Think nothing of it my lady. Many of us are loyal to you."

"Thanks anyway," Kagome said and released her grip. She walked over and looked down at its dark depths; the forest demon was long gone. She stuck her hand in a fold in her kimono and pulled out the vial that the servant girl had given her.

'"Remember, once you are taken to the dry well, drink the potion and dive into the well. Sesshomaru will immediately go into rage when he senses the bond beginning to shatter." That's what she told me,' Kagome thought. She pulled the stopper off the vial and got a nose-full of the fumes.

'It's like perfume of day old vomit and toe nail clippings,' she thought and gagged, 'Suck it up, Higurashi. A lot of trouble went into getting this horrid bile for you. You can't let them down…you can't let her down.'

Kagome held her nose with one hand and used the other to chug it down. She willed herself to swallow the putrid mixture and sighed once it was all the way down her throat.

'I better get in the well now,' she thought. Just as she was lifting up her leg to go over the well, she felt a sharp burning pang in her neck. Like an intense fire raging through her veins and blazing at the spot where her neck met her shoulder, the same place Sesshomaru marked her.

'I guess this is why she told me to get in as soon as I took it,' Kagome thought. She felt her head go numb and then she released her grip and she fell down into the well. Her eyes closed as she welcomed the embrace of the well's magic.

-O0o0O-

'She must have taken the potion by now; it will take a few minutes for it to go completely into affect,' the servant girl thought as she waited the arrival of the forest beast. She shuddered slightly, 'I hope I warned her about the odor and the taste. I guess it can't be helped now.'

The beast ran towards the little half demon and skidded to a halt.

"The deed has been completed," the demon said. "Our lady's energy is disappearing from our world as we speak and the power of the mark is beginning to fade."

"Thank you," the servant said, "You will be rewarded for you service to the lady of the West."

'Or rather ex-lady.'

"Our lord will be informed of your territory's expansion after an adequate time has passed since the disappearance of his mate. It is apparent that our lord will be greatly displeased and it would not be wise to approach him with such requests," the servant girls said.

"I see," the larger demon said, "Do what you can and inform if there is more my kind can do. You do have everything else under control?"

The young servant just raised her eyebrow and the demon chuckled.

"I see," the demon said, understanding the meaning of the gesture, "Farewell, half demon." The forest spirit disappeared into the shadows of the trees.

'Kagome-dono will be safe in the future, the forest beings are free from blame and will be rewarded, Sesshomaru will be going to the last place Kagome's scent dwells, all that's left is…' A large gust of wind interrupted the half demon's thoughts.

"You're late," the half demon said and was soon face to face with a large bat demon. It was one of the weaker breeds without a humanoid form; its skin was gray and leathery with folds and wrinkles, the eyes were large and completely crimson glinting like rubies and its great mouth was open with its jaws revealing several sharp canines and a larger set of fangs.

"What gives you right to order me, half human filth," the bat said, "You're not even worthy of the little demon blood you possess."

"Then I believe you're not worthy of the expansion of mountains to the West," the half demon said; she was not easily intimidated by the insults.

The bat immediately relented, "No hard feelings; just a joke between comrades. You have the essence right? The essence of our lady. Our lord will not be deceived by mere appearance."

"Of course I have it," the half demon said and pulled out a small vial, "Just a bit of blood and a few strands of hair. No big deal. You have the body don't you?"

"Yes of course," the bat replied, "Draining the blood from a rather promiscuous village girl was a simple task for the humanoid demons in our clan. Her body is now reduced to a submissive little ghoul-."

The half demon nodded. Naturally, she did not tell Kagome that there was to be a decoy of her that was once a living person. She would have readily given up the whole venture if it came at the expense of a human being. Truth be told, the servant wasn't keen on the whole dealing either, but what's done is done.

Her essence—a mixture which will give any being the aura and scent temporarily of the person intended—was easy to obtain. Kagome had already given a sample of her blood and a few strands of hair were clinging to her clothing.

"Perfect," the half demon said and relinquished the vial to the bat, "Be sure that the 'ghoul' as you put it is given the essence and the exact copy of Kagome-dono's kimono of so that there will be no doubt in her identity."

"And the other demon, the one who will instigate attack?" the bat asked.

"Already taken care of," the half demon said, "She was willing to sacrifice herself for our cause and her kind will go into hiding."

The bat nodded, "The ghoul is inside the cave you commissioned for us. She is exactly as you told us; she can even speak. Three claw-shaped gashes down her back, a slash down her right cheek, bruise on her leg and arm…"

"I don't need you to describe it to me," the servant said sharply, "It is a vulgar enough task as it is. Just get it down and the mountains are as good as yours."

The bat nodded and quickly took to the wind just as fast as he arrived. Once the bat was out of range, the servant got to her knees, her calm and indifferent countenance shattered. Tears cascaded down her face and she wiped them up furiously with her kimono sleeve. She had taken to crying for her deeds from time to time. Despite the circumstances, she was still a child.

'Look at me,' she thought, 'Crying and grieving for my sins. Hmm…and I was once called the embodiment of sin itself. Oh, well, enough of this. It's going to be a long five centuries; I have plenty of time to think about this later. For now, they are more important things to think about.' The servant girl began her trek back to the Western fortress.

-O0o0O-

"Dammit!" InuYasha shouted as he got up and brushed off the debris.

'That was Kagome; it had to be!' he thought, 'but that demon. It just rushed right in and took her.' With his sensitive nose, he took a sniff of the air.

'Her scent...it's coming from the cave Kikyo nursed Onigumo in,' he thought, 'Strange…why would she go there? I smell her blood too. I should have never let Sesshomaru take her with him. That mating was doomed from the start.' InuYasha bounded forward in the direction of the cave as fast as his legs could carry him.

InuYasha reached the clearing in front of the cave in record time.

"Kagome! Come out of there!" he shouted.

-O0o0O-

Within the depths of the cave, the bat demon dressed the ghoul in the ripped kimono and put the essence of Kagome on its tongue. As soon as the contents of the vial were emptied, the body rose. Its lids opened to reveal dull sapphire eyes and its mouth was open slightly. Blood dripped freely down its body quickly drenching the ripped kimono. It stood under the bat demon's command walking unsteady as though in were a newborn calf. In seconds, the sunlight hit the body's milky white skin.

-O0o0O-

'Where are you?!' Sesshomaru thought frantically never feeling as frightened as he was right now when he had finally managed to get away from his soldier who attempted to restrain him and was running blindly in search of Kagome. His nose caught the scent of her blood.

'Any creature that hurt her will pay with its blood,' he thought. Sesshomaru cringed and bared his fangs slightly. He paused for a moment and clutched the side of his neck as a sudden bolt of pain speared him where his mark was, the symbol of his bond with Kagome. It was beginning to erase itself.

'She's…dying…' Sesshomaru thought. Redness began to seep into his eyes, his magenta colored markings began rugged and jagged, and his fangs lengthened. With renewed speed, Sesshomaru dashed in the direction where the scent of blood was the strongest.

-O0o0O-

"Her scent stops here," InuYasha said and looked at the dark cave that had once housed the bandit Onigumo, where the demon Naraku was conceived.

"What is she doing in there?" InuYasha asked himself.

"A fine question, InuYasha," a deep venomous voice said. InuYasha looked up at his older brother.

"What the hell are you doing here, Sesshomaru?!" InuYasha asked, "Why isn't Kagome with you? What did you do to her?"

Sesshomaru just growled and grabbed InuYasha by his throat. He was inwardly delighted as InuYasha made futile struggles to draw oxygen into his lungs.

"Why does my mate bleed?" Sesshomaru said in a deadly whisper; InuYasha knew Sesshomaru would kill him with his inability to answer.

"In…u…Yash…a…" a small weak voice said. A figure of a pale petite woman stepped from the shadows of the cave. She made a few steps staggering as she went until she fell to her knees and began to crawl slowly.

"Sess…sho…ma…ru…" the woman continued.

"Kagome…" InuYasha said. He was immediately thrown into a tree trunk. After dealing his brother the blow, Sesshomaru turned to the pale figure christened "Kagome". She smiled weakly. Before Sesshomaru could use his speed to get to her, Kagome opened her mouth and let out a fearful cry. A demon, large and grayish black in color, with massive jaws and monstrous fangs charged forth from the trees. It let out a mighty cry before surging forth and gripping Kagome in its jaws and swallowing her whole and clasping his jaws shut with a loud crunch. A second hardly passed before Sesshomaru reduced the demon before him into a smoldering pile of liquid demon tinted green with his poison. Sesshomaru looked down at the remains, his eyes tinted crimson and his whole figure shaking.

InuYasha gulped as he watched Sesshomaru.

'Dammit, I better get back to the village,' he thought and turned away quickly, 'There is no telling how crazy he's gonna go now.' InuYasha ran as fast as he could to prepare everyone back at the village for the worst.

-O0o0O-

'It's done,' the half demon girl that as the last remnants of Kagome's aura and life force drift away, 'She's gone.' She had stopped her journey to the castle just to check on the progress of her plan. She had a strong doubt of failure.

The demon girl looked up into the sky; it seemed to tinted red with anger and depression. It was so strong that even humans would be able to sense it.

'You can almost taste his emotion in the air,' the half demon said and sighed before walking back in the direction of the fortress.

Her feline ears twitched when she could hear Sesshomaru's loud roar and growl from such a great distance. She sighed again and ran her clawed hands through her hair and wiped a single tear off her cheek with the tip of her claw.

'I think…that it is going to be a long five centuries.'

-O0o0O-

punkish furball—And that is another chapter done. I liked it; it was hard describing some of the demons though. I never had to make up so many before. The Forest Spirits are my favorites. And I'm sure I got all of the errors this time.

-ghoul—This term is not mine. I got this from Hellsing by Kouta Hirano. It refers to a being that is created when a vampire sucks the blood of someone who's not a virgin. Like a man eating mindless puppet. I figure vampire and bat demon…same difference.

In the next chapter, I think we'll fast forward a few hundred years and go from there. I'm definitely gonna have some more of Aoishi. Yes, big plans for him. And fear not Shippo fans! He'll be back.

L83R, DUDES!

(edited 9/30/07)


	5. Chapter 4

punkish furball—Hello! Sorry, I took so long; I took some time and did some editing on all my stories and updated them as I went.

Words to Ponder:

Thank you, darkmoonbeanfoxgrrl, for being my 100th reviewer on Yay! (fireworks and confetti)

Thank you, RougeRaven89, bluemiko, mz.demon-inuyasha (2x), IceDarkness, S.T. Nickolian, lain01, uniqu3s0u7, SexyDemonGirl5000, .-Chaline-., Ari, kagome past and present, whiteinu1, Sarenity digo17, xXKillorbeKilledXx, magix234, EternalLove495, PrincessVictoriaAnnMacbeth, springscents, XxHisLilLoverGirlxX, Anime Punk Kitty, Nobodies Perfect-Not Even You, Silver Moon Vampire, SesshomaruKougaNarakuRanGirl, kyojiUzumaki, Misguided-Soul, demoninsideofme, darkmoonbeanfoxgrrl, LadyAkina, and Ru-Doragon for reviewing.

On with Chapter 4!

**Chapter 4**

"Order up, Kagome!" Miyuki said.

"I got it!" Kagome answered and took the two plates that were set on the counter and brought them to their assigned table. It had been three weeks since she began working here…three weeks since she awoke in the well with her joints stiff and aching when she tried to sit up. Her first impulse upon gaining consciousness was to check the side of her neck for Sesshomaru's mark. When she felt her own smooth skin without any blemishes or imprints of Sesshomaru's fangs, she was relived.

She got out of the well and ventured back to her home. After many days of reunions, explanations, and coddling from her mother, Kagome decided to get her life back on track. She did not return to school; she really didn't see to point now that she had been absent so. Instead, she and her mother managed to get her an apartment in the business district of the city with money from their savings. It was here that she obtained this job in a small café tucked away in the shadows of the much larger buildings and skyscrapers. It was very profitable; a lot of business people stopped in on their lunch hours. Sure, it was a particularly exciting life or what she how had expected her life would end up as, but it was enough to get by for the time being and Kagome was content now that Sesshomaru was out of the picture and the past was behind her.

'Still,' she thought after she set the order on the table, 'I can't help but think about him sometimes. Or the servant girl who helped me escape. I owe her so much.' Kagome had yet to have her reencounter with the feline hanyou.

"Hey, Kagome?" Miyuki said once Kagome made it back to front counter.

"What is it?" Kagome asked the other waitress.

"Well," Miyuki said and began to play with her fingers nervously, "That guy just walked in again and I was wondering if…"

Kagome smiled and began to speak before Miyuki could finish her sentence, "Don't worry about it. I'll take over the front counter for you. Besides, the lunch hour is almost over. Just a few stragglers coming in for some take out are all I have to worry about. Go ahead." Miyuki bowed in her thanks and began to walk toward the object of her affections.

Kagome sighed and took her new position behind the cash register waiting for someone to come in. In a few minutes, the bell rang signifying someone opened the door. Kagome saw a rather young looking girl walk into the café, about 14 or 15 years old that she hadn't seen before. She had a foreign looking complexion, a soft pale brown color. Her long onyx hair was pulled back in a high ponytail with a red ribbon. She had on black pants with the matching jacket tied around her waist. A dark red sleeveless shell served as her top. The clanking of her modest heels echoed on the tile floor sounding full of authority. She had simple silver stud earrings and a silver watch. Even her gaze was full of power and intimidating; her eyes were unusually colored, a golden yellow. Kagome couldn't help but think that this person looked eerily familiar.

'How strange,' Kagome thought, 'A long time…since I saw that eye color.'

The girl wasn't paying attention. Like most teenagers in this day and age, a cell phone seemed to be permanently attached to her ear. By the time she hung up, she was at the counter.

"Good afternoon," Kagome said politely, "How may I help you?"

"I'll have to us…ual…" the girl's words died in her throat when she noticed who she was talking to. She stared at Kagome a good moment before saying, "You are not Miyuki."

Kagome fought the urge to roll her eyes but said, "I'm Kagome. I'll be taking over for a little bit. How can I help you?"

"One white chocolate latte, one hazelnut coffee, one passion fruit smoothie, three poppy seed muffins, and a macadamia nut cookie," the girl said and held out the exact cost of the order and dropped it in Kagome's hand.

"Okay," Kagome said once she counted the money and placed it in the cash register, "I'll have your order ready in a moment." The girl just nodded and stared off into space. Kagome huffed silently.

'Talk about rude,' Kagome thought as she placed the cookie and muffins into a bag and placed the beverages into a drink tray. She placed them on the counter before the girl and before she could say the usual "Thank you and have a nice day" the girl walked out of the door.

Kagome looked down at the counter and saw that there was a napkin sitting there that she hadn't noticed. The only person who could have left it was the girl. Kagome picked it up and read in very small neatly written kanji, "Come outside".

'Why would she leave this here?' Kagome thought to herself. She looked around and noticed the business was rather slow since the lunch hour had passed and not too many people were in here. Kagome waited a few seconds before jumping over the counter and walking out of the door. Once she opened it, she saw the same girl on the side of the building putting her purchased on the ground with her jacket on top of it probably so nothing would get on it. Her back was to her.

"Well?" Kagome said in questioning tone of voice, "I don't have all day. I have to get back to work."

Kagome could hear the girl chuckle.

"Straight to the point I see. I must admit that that is a characteristic I did not see in you before, but I must say that it is not unexpected," the girl said and turned around to face Kagome. Kagome noticed that the girl's eye color had changed. One eye was still the original golden yellow Kagome first saw but the other one was deep blood red. Kagome's eyes widened. For a split second, in place of this older modern girl she saw a smaller one in a kimono with the Western Fortress's insignia.

"You're the servant girl," Kagome whispered silently and the girl had a large smile on her face but she vigorously shook her head.

"I'm not that person anymore," she said with her tone much more relaxed and less frigid than it once was, "I'm Mimirou."

-O0o0O-

Yamagishi Mimirou had a concentrated look on her face as she strategically moved the different shapes into their proper place. She looked between fourteen and sixteen. Her straight black hair was pulled back in a ponytail with a few rebellious strands sweeping her bronzed skin. Golden eyes were trained on her cell phone's screen. Her feet covered in brown knee highs that blended with her skin were pushing against a desk causing the office chair she was sitting in to move slightly. Her black jacket, matching her black pants, was slung on the back of the chair. Her bright red shell revealed her the skin of her arms. Unknown to her, another figure crept behind her and, seeing that he was unnoticed, he was situated his mouth behind her ear.

"Get up, slacker!" the figure's voice whispered harshly causing Mimirou to jump and push back against the desk. The chair rolled backwards and she ended up on the floor with her phone throne in the air. Realizing she dropped it, Mimirou scrambled over to it to see that the perfectly straight rectangular block had land in the wrong place and the stack had touched the top of her screen, ending the game. Mimirou scowled at the cell phone before closing it. She looked up at the offender with a glare who gave her a satisfied smirk in return.

"I was playing Tetris ™ and on level 14," she said with a slight whine in her voice, "You always interrupt me when I'm trying to beat the high score."

"So that's the pinnacle of your day, eh?" the person said mockingly, "Spending the bulk of the lunch hour playing an idiotic pixilated game?"

Mimirou huffed, "It just happens to be the updated version, you underpants monkey. I swear you just exist to get on my nerves, Aoishi."

Aoishi was a tall, slender young man with a slightly muscled build looking between his early and middle twenties. His hair was coal black and cut short with a few spikes here and there. He had clear blue eyes that twinkled with wisdom and a hint of mischief. His thin smooth looking lips were pulled into a smirk. He wore black pants with a black sports jacket over a light blue collared shirt. He had a small gold earring on the tip of his right ear.

"Please," Aoishi said, "I do still happen to retain my title as general. Don't be so presumptuous about my behavior."

"Some general," Mimirou said sarcastically, "you did seem apt to falling for the charms of any demoness that crossed your path. How many battle plans went astray with that type of behavior?"

"I have told you two to be more discrete with your heritage," a cold voice said. Aoishi and Mimirou turned back to see a much taller, male with long onyx hair in a low ponytail and piercing golden eyes much like Mimirou's own. His skin was pale and flawless. His attire was more professional, a black pinstriped suit with a crisp white shirt and a black tie. It concealed his chiseled and toned physique. He was a powerful presence in the room. Though his true nature was concealed, he was without a doubt Taiyoukai of the West, son of the Great Inu no Taisho, Sesshomaru. Today he was known by the name Nagasaki Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru," Aoishi said in a slight mocking tone, "how are you? I trust that meeting went well. You seem a little tense though."

"Sesshomaru-sama," Mimirou said and bowed to the elder male despite her knee high clad feet and her lack of her suit's jacket, which landed on the floor. Sesshomaru patted the girl's head causing her to look up at him.

"That's quite alright, Mimirou," Sesshomaru said in his customary cold, stoic baritone, "You have never been one to show obedience before, but you are still a loyal member of my inner circle."

Said girl blushed slightly, but it was not in embarrassment. She was angry at the youkai and always had been.

'Loyal member…' Mimirou thought disdainfully, '…you just keeping thinking that.'

Instead of voicing these inner thoughts, the girl just nodded.

"Well, lunch hour is almost over," Mimirou said trying to change the subject, "I'll just head out and get ourselves a quick lunch. The usual okay with you guys?"

Sesshomaru nodded and left the room most likely to go to his office. Mimirou noticed Aoishi was correct in his earlier observation. Sesshomaru was indeed a little stiff…well, stiffer than usual, when he walked out to his office.

'That meeting must not have gone well,' she thought and pouted, 'Great. And guess who has to go run damage control?'

"Yeah, that's cool," Aoishi answered, the older youkai surrendering to the use of current slang, "Just make sure you don't pig out on everything this time."

"I didn't pig out on anything," Mimirou said innocently, "I don't know what you are referring too."

"Whatever, pipsqueak," Aoishi said and ruffled Mimirou's hair, "but my cookie better not be missing this time." Mimirou glared as Aoishi walked out the room.

"I don't know what he's talking about," Mimirou said to herself while she put her shoes back on, "I'm the one who buys lunch all the damn time. If I want to eat a cookie I BOUGHT, I'm gonna eat it." Mimirou tied her jacket around her waist and walked out of the room. Soon, she found her way out of a rather large office building, Nagasaki Enterprises, Sesshomaru's "family" business that dated back to the 1800s and the Industrial Revolution in Europe, which was the world's leading manufacturer of factory machinery components. Sesshomaru started it from scratch with the products evolving as time advanced. Many of the products are used in other projects of Sesshomaru's, including a division that produces medical tools and another that designs video games.

'You think people would notice that when the business was passed down that the successors looked far too similar. Then again, this is the closest concealment to his original features in three hundred years and the first time he used his original name,' Mimirou thought to herself, 'It must be because she is from this period.'

Mimirou stopped walking and looked up at the sky above her.

'Lady Kagome…' the name passed through her mind like a low whisper. Before she could think about anything else on the matter, Mimirou's cell phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, she saw that it was none other than Sesshomaru. Mimirou sighed and answered the device.

"Yeah, what's up?" Mimirou said.

'Lady Kagome,' Mimirou thought again, 'I hope that I never find you, if only for your sake.'

-O0o0O-

"Mimirou," Kagome repeated testing the new name on her lips. She smiled, "I like it. It suits you."

"I'm glad you think so," Mimirou said and began to shuffle her feet. It was a very awkward situation. The two of them tried not to stare at each other; one having changed so much in what was only a few weeks (to Kagome) and the other who hadn't changed at all in so many centuries.

"So," Kagome started, "I mean I get off work in a few hours. I don't know what you have to do, but if you want, we could go to my apartment and just hang out for a while. I mean if you want to and you have nothing better to do…" Kagome trailed off a bit at the end. She was so anxious to see her alone, but she didn't know if Mimirou would want to be with an ordinary unaccomplished human like her.

"I would love too," Mimirou said excitedly and hugged Kagome around her neck. Kagome was caught off guard and fell back slightly. She gained her footing and returned the girl's embrace. Despite what she was thinking earlier, she was happy that she had been reunited with Kagome again, Sesshomaru included or not.

"Why don't you give me your cell number?" Mimirou said when the two pulled apart and her eyes were returned to their original golden color, "I'll call you later so you can give me directions later and I'll go when I get off from my job." Mimirou handed Kagome her cell phone and she programmed her number into the portable device. Kagome gave it back and Mimirou slipped it in her pocket. She bent down and picked up her jacket and then her order off the ground.

"I better be off," Mimirou said and looked at Kagome before she went off, "I'll call you."

Kagome waved as Mimirou disappeared in the crowd of people flooding the Tokyo sidewalks. When she was out of sight, Kagome went into the café and took her position at the front counter with a smile.

-O0o0O-

Mimirou made her way into the office building in enough time to make sure that the coffee still retained its warmth. Talking with Kagome did take up some time and the beverages did cool a little, but with a little demonic energy Sesshomaru's hazelnut coffee was heated to perfection and warmed his poppy seed muffin to deliciously golden brown. Aoishi's white chocolate latte, on the other hand, was a cool puddle of froth and caffeine surrounded by cheap styrofoam. She dropped off his latte on his desk along with his muffin and cookie, but not before taking a large, noticeable bite out of both.

"That'll teach him to talk to me about MY cookie," Mimirou said to herself as she made her way to Sesshomaru's office. Once she reached the door, she knocked a few times before she heard the shuffling of clothing.

"Come in," she heard Sesshomaru said and opened the door to see one of the newer interns walking out pulling on her skirt with a blush lighting up her face. She walked passed Mimirou and Mimirou's golden eyes followed her down the hallway.

'Bleach blonde hair, short and tight business skirt and top, four-inch heels, and press on nails,' Mimirou thought taking in her appearance, 'She won't last to the end of the week.'

Mimirou walked in to see Sesshomaru sitting in his office chair with his jacket and tie off and his white shirt wrinkled and unbuttoned. His belt was strewn on the floor along with other various items that were probably on his desk. The room smelled strongly of sweat, sex, and semen that even a human's nose would be able to detect.

'He certainly has no shame,' Mimirou thought. She placed his coffee and muffin on his desk in front of him. She avoided looking him in the eyes; he would be able to see her hatred. He hadn't changed at all. He was still an egotistical, arrogant, greedy, self-centered, horny jack ass.

'You deserve her even less than you did before,' Mimirou thought, 'At least then you had the decency to keep it in his pants back then.'

"Mimirou," Sesshomaru said and Mimirou nodded. She didn't sit down; she didn't trust what might have landed on the chairs. Mimirou noticed his nostrils flare as he delicately sniffed the air around him.

'Oh no,' Mimirou thought, 'Please don't let him smell Kagome on me. I haven't thought about it. Dammit!'

If Sesshomaru smelled something, he didn't indicate it.

"I need you to do something for me," Sesshomaru said.

"Let me guess," Mimirou said, "Meeting with the other company didn't go well and you want me to go run damage control? I didn't think I would have to do that. I thought that the two of you went way back."

"Too far I'm afraid," Sesshomaru said and stood up with his coffee in his hand and walked over to his window that over looked the city.

"Oh," Mimirou said, "Is he still mad about that whole…episode? He does realize that his claim meant nothing."

Sesshomaru reached up his free hand to rub his temples, "Apparently, he still leaves in that illusion."

Mimirou just shrugged her shoulders and took a bite out of her muffin, "Ookami are known for their stubbornness not to mention there fierce possessiveness."

"You think that he would get over it," Sesshomaru said and Mimirou noticed that his eyes had taken a slightly misted look, "She is dead after all."

'He looks sad,' Mimirou said, 'but I wonder who exactly is he referring to? Kagome or Misumi? It's hard to tell.' Mimirou had taken to noticing every little change in Sesshomaru's behavior over the centuries. She could notice even the slightest cease between his eyebrows whenever he was irritated or how his eyes widened just a fraction when he was surprised (though this was rare).

"Just leave everything to me," Mimirou said polishing off her muffin and began to suck down her smoothie, "I'm sure that I can get to this Koga person. I don't know much about him personally, so I'll have to do a little digging. Any weaknesses you remember?"

Sesshomaru took a sip from his coffee, "Not any that I recall offhand. He did grow somewhat sensitive towards humans, but I suppose he would have some sort of anger towards hanyous."

Mimirou sighed, "Looks like I'll just have to tighten up my illusion just a tad. Maybe even get a stronger power limiter-. You could still sense traces of youki in me."

"Do what you will," Sesshomaru said and turned his back to Mimirou. Mimirou took that as a sign to leave. She turned and walked out the room and dropped the empty bag into the trash can near the door. She held up her wrist and looked at her watch.

'Only another hour or so until I get off,' Mimirou thought to herself happily, 'I can't wait!'

-O0o0O-

punkish furball—Yay! Chapter 4! Woohoo!

-power limiter—this is a term from the Saiyuki series. It is an accessory like a bracelet, earring, coronet etc. that restricts demonic blood and keeps demons more human-like.

More updates coming you're way…I just don't know when.

Questions? Comments? Words of wisdom? Contact me.

L83R, DUDES!

(edited 10/24/07)


	6. Chapter 5

punkish furball—Hello, man has it been awhile!

**Words to Ponder:**

I have been really sick lately (flu, sinus infection, ear infection), but I have made a full recovery but I am still little congested. Other than that, I think that this is really coming along.

Thank you, soubifan700 (2x), GYY, eternallove495, GrNDaySkerchic96, Shadow Traveler, Syn'ri, Sarenity digo17, Uranaishii, uniqu3s0u7, lildevil0644, Someone, IcedLilith, Estry, bringer-of-death-and-sorrow, -ButterflyMEMORIES-, XxHisLilLoverGirlxX, Flamed Rose (3x), The Assassin of the Night, Ru-Doragon, MyGoddessoftemoonandsun, CrOsSoVerz, semora, xXKillorbeKilledXx, lilly, ColorMeBlackeri, KageOokami69, mz.demon-inuyasha, Ice-Cold-Bunni, and missyadr for reviewing.

**Chapter 5**

Mimirou was absolutely giddy as she sat on the rail train going towards the office of Sesshomaru's rival.

'I have to calm down,' she thought to herself, 'Sesshomaru will only be suspicious if I seem to anxious to go out this evening. He might not let me go.'

Despite Mimirou's extreme "dislike" for Sesshomaru, she had lived by his side and in his home since the feudal age. She had been titled everything from his native slave to mulatto servant girl, all agreeable aliases seeing as her neko heritage with roots to the early Egyptians- gave her the light brown tone of her skin. More recently, she was dubbed his orphaned young ward and supposed heir to his estates.

'Strange,' Mimirou thought now that her thoughts lead her to that subject, 'Even in all his years, Sesshomaru never had a child. He had married several times before not out of love but out of necessity and let loose his sexual frustrations from time to time and yet he never had an heir. Surely his demonic urges would have swayed towards that suggestion. Even Aoishi had a few bastard children here and there, but they're all dead now.'

The train came to a stop and Mimioru stood up and got off with a group of others. She walked until she was standing in front of an office building rivaling Sesshomaru's in size and brilliance. Mimirou just sighed at the immense building.

'What is it with males and the size of things?' she thought, 'It's pretty to look at but what purpose does it serve?' Mimirou walked into the building and directly to the desk on the main floor.

"Excuse me," Mimirou said to the dark haired receptionist, "I'm the representative from…"

"Yes, yes," he said cutting her off and not even looking her way, "you're expected to at the 11th floor."

"Right," Mimirou said and walked to the elevator. She snarled at the attitude of the male demon.

'…Ookami,' she thought angrily and pressed the button for the 11th floor as soon as she got into the elevator. Mimirou rode for a short time and got off. Another demon was waiting for her to take her directly to the office of Sesshomaru's rival, this so-called Koga. This demon was much more polite and led her to door of Koga's office after the two of them introduced themselves in the customary Japanese way. He left her there with a short bow and Mimirou bowed in return. She raised her hand to knock on the door when a gruff voice called her into the room.

'He must be able to smell me,' Mimirou said, 'His demonic powers must not be concealed like Sesshomaru's and Aoishi's.' Mimirou walked into the office. It was simple compared to Sesshomaru's but much cleaner than his at the moment. Apparently Koga didn't readily indulge in pleasures of the flesh in his own office like some others and his mate had been deceased for nearly fifty plus years. Mimirou looked up to an ookami youkai with steely blue eyes and black hair cut short.

"Sesshomaru's representative," Koga said from behind his desk, "does he think that sending a child would sway my decision." He chuckled a little.

Mimirou mentally groaned, 'Looks like I'm not going to get too far with negotiations with this hard headed youkai. I don't do well with insults.'

"I assure you I am not a child," Mimirou said in a hard, monotone voice that she had used many times before, "I am a member of Sesshomaru's company. I deal with stubborn morons all the time. Although it has been a while since I'll dealt with a demon. Humans don't put up enough fight. Maybe you can give this little girl some excitement as a change of pace, Prince Koga."

Koga smirked showing off two pearly white fangs.

'I was right,' Mimirou thought, 'He doesn't hide his demonic features anymore than his humanoid form. Cocky.' Mimirou slipped off her power limiter in the form of a bracelet. Her demonic features began to show: her claws, her fangs, her long black hair with the bangs colored ivory, her feline ears and tail.

"I figured there had to be something about you for that old mutt to send such a cute little girl. I hate to break it to you, but you aren't my type, sweetie. Why don't you just let the real demons take care of this and you butt out, half-breed?"

Mimirou began to growl and her tail and ears began to bristle. Just as she was about to retort to Koga's remark, her cell phone rang.

"Excuse me," Mimirou said after taking a few deep breathes. Koga nodded like he didn't really care and Mimirou took out her phone looking at the caller ID.

'Kagome!' she thought excitedly with her ears quickly standing up straight before flicking about a few times. She answered the phone without a second thought.

"Hello?" Mimirou said.

"_Hey_," Kagome said on the line, "_I really didn't want to bother you in case you were still working, but I just got off of work a little early so we could hang out. I'm going to the market to pick up a few things. Anything you want in particular?_"

"Nothing comes to mind really," Mimirou said, "I really don't have many dislikes. I do like seafood and milk preferably whole milk."

"_Ok, I just wanted to make sure. I know how finicky cats can be,_" Kagome said with a little giggle.

Mimirou sighed, "I guess that is true. Either way, I will be off in another hour or so. I'll catch up with you then."

"_Great. See you in a while. Bye!_" Kagome said.

"Bye," Mimirou said and hung up the phone and immediately found herself pinned to the wall with angry red eyes boring into her own.

-O0o0O-

Aoishi sighed when he pulled his coffee out of the microwave in the break room.

'I don't know why I'm surprised,' Aoishi thought to his self and gingerly sipped the reheated caffeine, 'She does this everyday.' He dropped his bitten muffin and cookie in the trash can.

'Still one of these days, I'd like to enjoy my cookie,' Aoishi thought and looked up when he heard footsteps headed towards the door.

"Hey buddy," Aoishi said when Sesshomaru walked into the room and right past him. He had a folded over paper bag with Mimirou's name on it.

"She tampered with your lunch again?" Sesshomaru asked while he put the bag up.

"Doesn't she always?" Aoishi said, "Speaking of the little bastard, where is she?"

"Damage control," Sesshomaru answered.

"Ookami, right?" Aoishi said, "Cocky and an insult to canines like us if you ask me."

Sesshomaru nodded.

"Just thinking of this particular wolf gives me a headache," he said. Aoishi just nodded in his response. He knew about the past the two demons shared and had a feeling if he were to comment on that last statement he would find himself pinned to the wall.

"Another one of mistakes coming to haunt me. I should have killed him when I had the chance," Sesshomaru said and walked out of the room before Aoishi could respond. Aoishi didn't blame him.

'He still blames himself for Lady Kagome's death,' Aoishi thought. He still had clear memories of his mistress. Who wouldn't? She was beautiful and kind and bright and so much more than mere words could name. She was truly the fairest creature to grace the walls of the Western Fortress. Aoishi had to admit she was the talk of many a soldier in his ranks when she was being courted by their lord. Even Aoishi would envision her soft feminine form draped across his. But as beautiful as his mistress was, Aoishi knew he could see something his lord could not. He treated her like a precious china doll that needed protection from the smallest speck of dust. Aoishi could see the longing in those dulled sapphire eyes. Sometimes, when he was worn out from battle or drunk from the escapades with his fellow soldiers he would imagine being the one to take his lady away from her sheltered life of monotony. But such thoughts were treason against his lord so he quickly put them to rest.

Aoishi shook his head to rid himself of his current thoughts. He shouldn't be thinking of such things right now.

'She's dead anyway. No use in thinking about her now,' he thought and left the break room, dropping his coffee in the trash can.

-O0o0O-

Mimirou gasped for air as Koga tightened his grip on her neck.

"Gee, wolf boy," Mimirou managed to say, "thought I wasn't your type."

"Shut up, you cunt. I know that voice. You keeping her for Sesshomaru, aren't you? Is that what you plan? Is it, half-ling?"

Mimirou struggled to breathe when Koga's grip tightened again.

'I have to do something or he's gonna kill me,' Mimirou thought. She placed her hand on her hand on Koga's arm and set his sleeve aflame. The demon howled and was forced to release the young hanyou to tend to his burns.

'It's been a long time since I last used my power,' Mimirou thought, 'I'm glad to see I'm not rusty. Still Sesshomaru better not found out about this. He won't be pleased. He's gonna kill me with training sessions.'

Mimirou reached up to feel her injured neck and flinched when she touched it. She was willing to bet that the damaged area was covered with a large red imprint of Koga's hand with puncture wounds from his claws.

'Good thing he doesn't have any poison or I'd be dead by now.'

"I'm going to say this once," Mimirou said once she felt comfortable enough to speak, "Sesshomaru doesn't know anything about her and I intend to keep it so."

"What are you playing at?" Koga asked bitterly while growling.

Mimirou sighed, 'I didn't want anyone to know about this so soon. Damn him!'

"I don't play games," Mimirou said, "I told you before and I don't like to repeat myself, but I'm going to do if for your sake, Sesshomaru doesn't know anything about her and I want to keep it that way.

"You mean to tell me that he knows nothing about her in this time period?" Koga asked.

'Do I have to drill it in his skull? Ookami…stubborn and stupid!' Mimirou thought.

"You heard what I said," Mimirou said, "Take it or leave it."

"How long have you known her?" Koga asked, "I mean in this era."

'He sounds different now,' Mimirou thought, 'He's desperate for information now. I can get him to do whatever I want, but I think I'll string him along a little bit for pissing me off.'

"That is none of your concern," Mimirou said. She kneeled down and picked up her power limiter off of the ground.

"Oh, I see what you plan on doing," Koga said, "You tell me what I want to know and I give in to Sesshomaru's terms."

Mimirou slipped her bracelet on and her human disguise was back on, "I could care less about him."

"You mean that?" Koga asked. Mimirou nodded.

"I see," Koga said, "So is this before she went back to the Feudal Era for good. Before she and Sesshomaru…" Koga stopped and tightened his fists at his sides. Mimirou just smirked and headed for the door.

"This meeting is over, Koga," Mimirou said just as she put her hand on the handle, "We expect you answer at your earliest convenience." Mimirou left the room, and when she closed the door behind her, she quickly and headed for the stairs not wanting to waste time with the elevator. Koga would no doubt be very angry and she shouldn't toy with him any longer as fun as it was.

'My neck still hurts though,' Mimirou thought when she made to the street in record time, 'Exerting myself like this isn't going to help it. I better get Aoishi. He has enough experience with this type of thing to help me. Plus he won't tell Sesshomaru about this. As stupid as he is, Koga doesn't need to die just yet.'

Mimirou pulled out her cell phone, the indirect cause of her injury, and dialed Aoishi's number. It rang a few times before he answered.

"_What's the matter? The big bad wolf too much for the little half demon?_" he said when he answered the phone.

"Hello to you too," Mimirou said, "Do you think we can skip the insults and catch up on them later? I need a ride back and a little bit of medical attention if you don't mind."

"_Are you serious? Was this wolf too much for you?_" Aoishi asked losing the teasing tone from before.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Mimirou answered, "And most certainly not anything to let Sesshomaru-sama know about. Just come and get me please. I'll bee in a little coffee shop on the corner."

"_Alright. Just don't wander off. I'll be there as soon as I can, you little bastard,_" he said and hung up the phone. Mimirou closed down her cell phone.

'I can count on Aoishi,' she thought, 'but I can't trust him completely yet. He may have gotten a little bit more playful as the years have passed but he is still an obstacle especially now that I have found Kagome-dono.' Mimirou walked over to the coffee shop and took a seat and sat in a corner. She didn't feel like ordering anything and she wanted to keep hidden so no one would notice the damage on her neck. Mimirou reached up to feel the injury again. It was wet with blood not to much but just enough to be worried about it.

'Damn that stupid wolf!' Mimirou thought, 'Not only do I have to worry with Aoishi and Sesshomaru I have to worry with that over ground canine. I have just about had my share of dogs for today.'

-O0o0O-

punkish furball—Hope that you like them apples! I know little Kagome action but there will be more in the next chapter. And I also think you got to see a little bit more into Mimirou's and Aoishi's characters.

-…well, when I think about cats I think Egypt and that's what influence Mimirou's appearance.

L83RN355!

(edited 3.09.08)


	7. Chapter 6

punkish furball—I know, I know. It's been a while. Long story short, I live in on of the southern states bordering the Gulf of Mexico (Louisiana). Case ya didn't know, it's hurricane season and for the past few days, a majority of us southern folk have been either under water, powerless, or a combination of the two. Let's just say, I really appreciate electricity especially my hot water heater and air conditioner!

**Words to Ponder:**

Thank you Natsumi Tsuchi-Ookami, Ru-Doragon, GYY, Ice-Cold-Bunni, bluemiko, watergoddesskasey, Syn'ri, Bloomer123, Silent Sinner Abella, yuukinastsu, SnarkyWritingGrrl-381, mz.demon-inuyasha, byakugan-master93, KageOokami69, sil, kumikonhan, gia, Banana Flavored Eskimo, HentaiVixen, MusicADD, g2fan, kitsunegirl48, Dark Ice Kitsune, yamayo69, Reads-way-2-much, yumeniai, Ai Megami Murasaki, cowgirlkitten2000, B.D. Gerretson, FoxyDemonDownUnder, the-black-rose-is-mine-alone07, kidalare, ginny7777, Giss., firevixen73, InuBroken, and Black as a rose for reviewing.

Black as a rose-I'm happy to say that this is already posted on under my other penname gothic (underscore) fuzzies.

**_THERE IS ANOTHER POLL IN MY PROFILE! PLEASE COMPLETE IT AND HELP ME DO STUFF!!_**

**Chapter 6**

Mimirou continued to breathe deeply as sitting in her seat and holding a napkin to the claw wounds. The marks had begun to grow numb and the blood was not flowing as freely, but breathing caused her neck to ache. She had to admit that she was not too worried about Koga. He was too stunned by her revelation to do much of anything.

'He won't inform Sesshomaru of Kagome's existence,' Mimirou thought, 'And he won't confront me directly about that matter not if he wants continue living. I'll have to look out for any subtle contacts from the wolf.'

"Holy shit!" assaulted her sensitive ears, causing her to wince. Mimirou looked up to see Aoishi standing next to her with his eyes fixed on her neck. A small first aid kit was nestled in the grip of his left hand.

"Don't make a scene," Mimirou said and pulled back the bloodied napkin. She stood and swiftly walked out of the building, throwing the soiled napkin into the nearest garbage can. She was sure that the scent of her blood was strong enough to block any odors that Koga missed or ignored.

"Hold it!" Aoishi called out to the girl. He followed her outside and caught her sitting on a bench at the nearest bus stop. He sat next to her and studied the bleeding wound on her neck. There wasn't much he needed to do. The claws hadn't punctured any vital blood vessels and, with Mimirou's partial demonic heritage, it would heal nicely in about two days' time if infection did not occur.

"So," Aoishi began as he reached into this first aid kit, "what happened?"

"The ookami and I had a disagreement," Mimirou answered. She winced when Aoishi applied some disinfectant to the wounds. It was your average store bought antiseptic, not the _other _medicine Mimirou expected him to bring.

"It was nothing I couldn't handle," Mimirou finished just as Aoishi began to light wrap her neck in gauze so that exposure would not risk infection.

"Bullshit," Aoishi said, "Just say the word and Sesshomaru will have his head on a wooden pike."

"And do what with it?" Mimirou said, "Display it in front of the downtown division? No thanks. Just take me home and I'll use some more _effective_ medicine. Tell him I was unsuccessful and went home to sulk for a few hours. By the time he returns, there won't even be a scar."

"He's not going to be happy with you," Aoishi warned. He tied a small knot around Mimirou's neck; it was tight enough to secure the bandages but loose enough for comfort.

"I'd rather he be pissed at me for failing then going on a bloody rampage for my sake and his reputation," Mimirou said, "A direct attack to me is a direct attack upon himself. You remember that whole episode back in Hong Kong with our _other_ business venture. No need for a repeat performance."

"True," Aoishi said. He stood up and began walking towards his vehicle, a black cherry 2008 model Cadillac CTS ™ with ebony interior-. Mimirou followed behind him and slipped into the passenger seat as Aoishi seated himself behind the wheel and began to drive.

"Your place or mine?" Aoishi said with a slight touch of humor to his voice.

"Depends," Mimirou asked, "Did you tell Sesshomaru for my predicament?"

Aoishi shrugged, "I saw no point in it. You hardly told me anything. He'll probably return in about an hour or two."

"Home then," Mimirou said and turned her gaze outside of the window so that she could observe the rapidly passing scenery. After a half hour or so passed, Aoishi parked in front of a rather sizeable estate belonging to Sesshomaru.

Before Mimirou could jump out of the car, Aoishi grabbed her wrist.

"Be sure that you get to those claw marks gone before Sesshomaru gets back," Aoishi reminded the hanyou. Mimirou scoffed and slipped out of Aoishi's grip.

"Don't worry about me," she said and jumped out of the vehicle and began running towards the front doors.

"All you need to do is sound convincing!" Mimirou yelled at the demon without looking back.

"Easy for you to say!" Aoishi shouted back, but Mimirou had already gone inside and slammed the door behind her.

Aoishi smiled at the door before driving off. If there was anything in this world that Sesshomaru held remotely dear to him, it would be that girl even if he rarely showed it. The passage of time brought many changes and few constants. Mimirou didn't know it, but she was a strong pillar of support that Sesshomaru subtly adhered himself much like she was to him. It was as if Mimirou was meant to be an inu pup more than the feline that she was. It had taken centuries for the bond to grow between the three, and it would take a lot to break it away.

-O0o0O-

Mimirou ran up to her room avoiding the house maids and other servants as she sped passed them. She had long abandoned her power limiters; everyone who worked in the house was either a low level demon or an older human schooled in the ways of the youkai. She preferred not to conceal her form anyway. When she reached her room, Mimirou looked to her clock hanging on her wall; it read 4:02 p.m.

"I got plenty of time to take care of this," Mimirou said to herself. She bent down onto the floor and pushed aside a plush medium sized rug. Using her claws, she pulled out a loose floor board. Many items were present in the hiding space; old habits do tend to die hard. Mimirou pulled out an unlabeled jar that contained a thick, dark hunter green substance. It contained a mixture of medicinal herbs and youkai saliva that sped the healing process and would make her wounds disappear in a matter of minutes. Sesshomaru kept a supply in his dojo, but Mimirou preferred to have her own supply on hand seeing as her hanyou saliva was too weak and couldn't accelerate the healing process as quickly. She got a small portion on her finger tips and rubbed it thoroughly on the small pinpoints in her neck. Her ears flickered back and forth to catch the slightest indication of an intruder. Once the salve had been applied, Mimirou sealed the jar and placed it carefully in its place. She returned the floor board and the rug to their previous positions. She stood up and collapsed onto her bed curling up a bit with her tails tickling her face. Kagome had contacted her with a very detailed description of her home; Mimirou had passed it quite a few times when passing through the more _unfavorable_ neighborhoods.

'I'll just take a little nap,' Mimirou thought to herself, 'By the time I wake up, Sesshomaru should be home.'

-O0o0O-

Kagome ran around her humble apartment frantically cleaning careful not to use too many products with prominent odors so her guest's nose will not be irritated. Due to the hanyou's appearance, she was sure that she was used to more elaborate and sophisticated dwellings.

Before going on her cleaning binge, Kagome had already prepared some food for their encounter, a plate of onigiri- with salmon in the center and some sashimi- and nigiri-zushi- for snacking and for the main meal yakizakana-. Kagome was glad her cooking skills had a chance to improve before their reunion.

'I can't believe she found me! I hope told her enough about my apartment. I made sure to tell her plenty of the surrounding features,' Kagome thought and paused, looking very thoughtful; 'I still can't believe it! She looks so grown up!'

Kagome was greatly pleased by the changes in the half demon. Not only had she matured to be a very pretty young girl, she seemed more relaxed and at ease with her own existence. At the fortress, she appeared to be a jaded soul, performing her daily rituals in a daze while internally she was wandering without any purpose or meaning. Even the slight upward turns of her lips Kagome saw seemed forced and practiced. She was glad that the hanyou grew out of that. Those bright golden eyes seemed more alive and expressive than Kagome had ever seen. Her voice was full of happiness and fulfillment when she spoke as though the moment she revealed her name to her was the completion of a wonderful dream, but Kagome knew that was silly thinking. Mimirou is a half demon and still possess the air of superiority and power she did as a young child; as much as she wanted to meet with her again, her human life is virtually nonexistent to her.

'I'll have to ask what she's up to,' Kagome thought, 'I wonder who she is living with; if she has a family.'

It was no secret that Mimirou loathed her previous retainer and wanted nothing more that to be free of whatever bonds that kept her to him.

'I never did find out what it was that made Mimirou hate Sesshomaru so,' Kagome thought. She stopped cleaning and headed to her room to change, though her attitude sobered a little.

Sesshomaru. Her thoughts often ventured to him when she was idle; therefore, she usually tried to remain as busy as she could.

'I wonder if he is alive as well,' Kagome thought. She wondered if he was as magnificent as she remembered him. Even after all these years, she felt no ill will towards the demon that wounded her to her very soul. He was just trying to regain the love he lost so unfairly. She even thought of what it would be like to see him again. She even felt a little guilty after leaving him so abruptly. Kagome quickly shook her head of the thoughts of pity towards the youkai. She could imagine what Mimirou would say to her.

"_Do you not value your own self!" _the half demon would shout, _"It is not only unfair but unjust and undeserving to use the bond of mating to merely be the new vessel of his former mate! Whatever trivial matter he suffered pales to what you yourself have endured because of him!"_

Yes, Kagome could just picture it, but instead Mimirou being a small girl looking up to her speaking calm yet sharply, Kagome saw a teenager shouting and flailing her arms about wildly. Kagome had to laugh at that mental image and Sesshomaru was banished from her mind for the moment. She dug into her closet and found a chocolate brown tee shirt that read "I'm a certain shade of indifferent" written in white lettering and a pair of faded blue jeans. She heard a hesitant knock on her door.

"I'm coming!" she shouted and hurriedly changed her clothes.

-O0o0O-

Mimirou took a slight sniff of the air around her; Sesshomaru's scent had filtered into her room. He would use his energy to spread his scent all around the house, asserting that it and everything within it belonged to him. She yawned and stretched much like her feline brethren, from the point of her claws to the tips of her tails. She sat up on her bed and closed her eyes in thought.

'I can smell his scent in my room,' Mimirou thought, 'He must have arrived about three to five minutes ago.' Mimirou looked at her clock; it was 6:37 p.m. She stood and went over to her closet; she needed to change for her meeting with Kagome after all. Looking into the fairly large closet; Mimirou could easily spot business attire and formal wear but nothing casual. Mimirou really didn't associate with anyone her own age or at least not anyone the age she appeared to be; therefore, did not have any "hanging out" clothes. She looked around and grinned when she successfully found a small section of about three tee shits, two pairs of jeans, and a jean skirt she wore when she had the honor of entertaining some children of a few business associates. Mimirou pulled out a black tee shirt with the kanji for "Nani?" on it in black lettering outlined in hot pink and light denim skirt with pleats that would rest about three inches above her knee. Aoishi was the one who selected this section of her closet.

"_You need to lighten up little!" _he shouted when he shoved the bundle of clothes in her hands. She scowled when she thought of him and quickly changed.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she felt a little awkward but looked more like the age she appeared. She reached into a small jewelry box and pulled out a small golden bangle from her dresser on the wall adjacent to her closet. She put it on her wrist and instantly her demonic features were concealed. She also picked up a black ponytail wrapper and pulled her hair up in a high ponytail. Mimirou picked up her cell phone, her wallet, and a small dagger. She strapped the dagger on her hip; Sesshomaru liked her to be prepared. She put the other two items in her pockets. Mimirou then picked up a small bottle from her dresser and tucked it in her pocket. Its smell was horrendous and sickenly sweet, but it would do the job and cover Kagome's scent for the time being. Giving herself one final look in the mirror, Mimirou left her room and headed downstairs.

'Okay,' she thought, 'Sesshomaru is probably in his study, sitting at his desk, drinking a glass of scotch. I'll have to be brief. My attire alone is enough to be suspicious of.' Aoishi might be here, his scent had yet to be detected. Mimirou walked down the hall and down a flight of stairs before stopping in front of large dark oak double doors.

"Enter," Sesshomaru said and Mimirou pushed the door to her right opened. Sesshomaru was sitting at his desk just as she pictured him with a glass of amber liquid in his hand. Also Aoishi was also present sitting on the sidelines drinking his share of liquor. There was one slight oddity; he wasn't looking at any papers or anything on his computer and he wasn't discussing anything with Aoishi. Instead, Sesshomaru's attention was concentrated on the view outside the window. Sesshomaru had this room designed like his father's study back in the fortress 500 years ago. The desk sat low to the ground and there were no chairs, only pillows to sit on. The only piece of technology was Sesshomaru's laptop which was put away at the moment. There were shelves full of scrolls and books, through it was quite bare compared to the main library. The most magnificent feature would be the row of large windows that over looked the land outside. It was facing west; the view of the sunset was amazing from here.

"Sesshomaru-sama," Mimirou began, but the youkai cut her off.

"Aoishi told me that the ookami was disagreeable," he said, "No matter. I expected this."

Mimirou glanced in Aoishi's direction, and he only shrugged with a smirk on his face.

"Just give me more time," Mimirou suggested, "I need to do a little more digging. There's sure to be some dirt on that filthy beast."

Sesshomaru nodded affirmatively and turned to look at Mimirou just as she was bowing.

"What are you wearing?" he asked in a way that caused Mimirou to flinch slightly. His tone did not change at all; his voice was as even as it always was. However, his words reminded Mimirou of what a father would say to his teenaged daughter going out on her first date.

"Actually," Mimirou began, "I am meeting with a friend at her home." Sesshomaru raised one of his sculpted eyebrows causing her to paused, but Mimirou quickly picked up where she left off.

"I meet her around the city a few times and she invited me to have dinner at her home," Mimirou said, "I thought that this attire was an acceptable choice."

Mimirou was purposely vague but not completely untruthful. Sesshomaru did know that she had a habit of wandering around when she was bored. Furthermore, she didn't want to mention the café just in case he decides to do a little background check on her so-called friend.

Sesshomaru briefly considered Mimirou's plans. She was not a social creature by nature and spent no recreational time with her human peers. The term "friend" seemed foreign on her tongue. The sudden desire to "hang out" seemed very suspicious. He could tell she was not lying, but Mimirou's uncharacteristic case of nerves made him hesitant as she stood there waiting for his approval.

"You may go," Sesshomaru said after several minutes. Mimirou had to resist a sigh of relief.

"I'll have someone drive you there," Sesshomaru continued causing Mimirou to end her mental premature celebration. Just as he reached to call someone to perform the task Mimirou sharply said, "No!" Again Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow at the neko.

"My friend's family is not as prominent as you are and is of a lower social status," Mimirou quickly said, "I do not want to show unnecessary signs of your accumulated wealth. I was planning on taking the bus there."

"Aoishi will take you," Sesshomaru said and the youkai, who hadn't said anything by now, to almost choke on his drink.

"You can't be serious," Mimirou said in protest, "I do not need an escort."

"As surprised as I am," Aoishi began, "I'll have to agree. You may be strong enough, but enough large human males on a bus could catch you off guard."

"I've used that type of transportation before in the daytime. I doubt I'm going to get gang raped on a public bus simply because of the late hour and my gender," Mimirou said in a dry voice and folded her arms across her chest.

Sesshomaru mentally sighed. Mimirou was a formidable force when she was determined; that's one of the reasons he values the demon child. However, he was stronger.

"The matter is not negotiable," he said with finality in his voice, "Aoishi will transport you or you will not go."

Mimirou looked Sesshomaru in the eye for a few minutes; she could see that there was no getting through to him and Aoishi will once again be an additional obstacle in her path. She nodded once in the direction of the two demons before turning around and walking out of the room. Both youkai winced when she slammed the door with a large portion of her strength. Sesshomaru was confused by the action.

"Well, tou-san, it looks like it finally happened," Aoishi said.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes rested his head on his fist; Aoishi had the annoying habit to refer to themselves as Mimirou's "parents".

"And what would that be?" Sesshomaru asked.

"You mean you don't see it?" Aoishi said, "The wardrobe changes, the mood swings, the secrets. They all mean one thing. Our little girl has finally caught up and become a teenager."

"Mimirou is hardly a teenager," Sesshomaru said, "She is well over five hundred years old."

"That may be, tou-san," Aoishi began, "but after centuries despite being socially premature, possessing a very adult like mentality, and having you for her closet her companion our little runt Mimirou has finally grown up a little. And in the 21st century. A wonderful time to be young spirited teen, don't you think?"

Sesshomaru took the time to consider what Aoishi finished saying. That thought had actually occurred to him on some sort of level. Although Mimirou was over five centuries old, she was in a stage in her youkai growth cycle similar to that of a human teenager. She also had yet to reach sexual maturity. Mimirou was hardly around any females who could aid her in this period of growth; maybe a "friend" was exactly what the little hanyou needs.

"Keep an eye out for her," Sesshomaru said, "I don't want her to get into anything she can't handle."

"No worries, tou-san," Aoishi said, "Ka-san has everything under control!" Aoishi turned and went out of the door. Aoishi hurried outside to his car; no need to keep Mimirou wanting more than she already had.

-O0o0O-

Mimirou sat in the passenger's seat of Aoishi's car much like she had been earlier. Her arms were folded and a frown was set on her face.

'Okay,' she thought to herself, 'The whole event hadn't gone as planned. But I suppose I was foolish for expecting Sesshomaru to be so lenient.'

Mimirou's eyes shifted in the direction of the house; Aoishi was coming her way.

'Getting Aoishi to bend a little won't be too hard,' Mimirou thought, 'He's assimilated well to past fifty or so years. He'll understand my plight for a little freedom and a little time for my own devices. Even if it is just this once.'

Aoishi got into the car and started the engine.

"Okay," he said while pulling out of the driveway, "Where does this friend live? Slums? Ghetto? Skid row? Red light district? Tell me when I got it."

Mimirou looked ahead and scowled; she could practically feel Aoishi's amusement.

"Come on," Aoishi said, "Just teasing. Seriously, where's she live?"

"Drop me off at the bus stop at the corner," Mimirou said in a dry voice.

"Be realistic," Aoishi said; his tone was still a little playful but growing slightly somber.

"Fine," Mimirou said and closed her eyes to calm herself down, "I remember when she told me about park about three or four blocks down the street. Drop me off there and that is as close as you get."

Mimirou heard Aoishi sigh and mentally smiled.

"You know I spoil you," he said, "After this, I really need to get plastered. You are just like Sesshomaru, ya know that."

"I'll pretend like you didn't say that," Mimirou said and opened her eyes.

"Take a right," she said, "at the next light."

-O0o0O-

"Okay," Aoishi said about thirty-two minutes of driving later in front of a local park. Nobody was really out at this hour; only a few dog walkers and the occasional jogger. Aoishi could see a series of buildings bordering the park. For a moment, he contemplated following Mimirou or something to that effect, but knew that plan would not end well.

'Besides,' he thought as Mimirou exited the vehicle without a glance in his direction, 'The little runt deserves to have some fun once in a while.'

Aoishi drove off, leaving the hanyou to her own devices. His sensitive nose caught the wafting scent of alcohol and nicotine.

'Maybe I'll have some fun too!' Aoishi thought with a grin.

-O0o0O-

Mimirou stood on the side of Aoishi's car until he quickly drove out of sight.

'He made the decision not to bother me,' Mimirou thought, 'At least it makes this venture at easier for the time being. I'll have to acquire for elusive plans for my next meeting.'

For now, Mimirou filed that thought in the back of her mind and began to walk towards Kagome's apartment building. She frowned as she observed the state of its surroundings; it was nothing she was accustomed to.

'Kagome does have to live on her income working in a small café,' she reminded herself and made another mental note to work on this situation as well.

Mimirou reached the gate of the building and went inside without a glance anyone that was lingering outside. Taking only a few minutes to reach her goal, Mimirou stood in front of Kagome's door and knocked on the door twice. She could hear Kagome's voice within the structure and waited to be admitted.

-O0o0O-

punkish furball—I did not like this chapter. Sure, I had to write the necessary character buildup with Aoishi and Mimirou and their relationship with Sesshomaru, but come on! This chapter involved maybe…30 Kagome. And like a lot of you out there, I want to pull every perfect strand of whitish silver hair out of Sesshomaru's head and the actual pay back is not coming anytime soon.

-my dream vehicle

-onigiri- a snack of Japanese rice formed into triangle or oval shapes and often wrapped in nori (edible seaweed). Traditionally, the onigiri is filled with pickled ume fruit (umeboshi), salted salmon, katsuobushi, or any other salty or sour ingredient.

-sashimi- a Japanese delicacy primarily consisting of very fresh raw seafood, sliced into thin pieces and served with only a dipping sauce and a simple garnish; literally means "pierced body"

- nigiri-zushi- hand-formed sushi; consists of an oblong mound of sushi rice that is pressed between the palms of the hands, sometimes with a speck of wasabi and a slice of fish called neta draped over it and a certain fish is typically bound to the rice with a thin strip of nori

- yakizakana- grilled fish; many varieties of fish are enjoyed in this way

That was a lot, but I did have to pleasure of trying some of these dishes which is why I mentioned them. Noticed that the all contain fish! : D

L83RN355!


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